Monday, April 25, 2011

History of the Uffizi Gallery - Florence

The Uffizi Gallery was built in the mid-sixteenth century by the architect, Giorgio Vasari. The Uffizi Gallery is home to some of the most spectacular works of art, including works by:

Giotto

Simone Martini

Piero della Francesca

Fra Angelico

Filippo Lippi

Botticelli

Mantegna

Correggio

Leonardo da Vinci

Raphael

Michelangelo

Caravaggio

Originally, the building was meant to house the offices for several of the magistrates; however the Medici family set aside several rooms on the third floor to hold the finest works of their art collection. Because of the generosity of Anna Maria Luisa, the last heir of the family, two centuries later, their collection became public property.

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On the second floor of the building, paintings are displayed in chronological order from the 13th to 18th centuries. The works of the Italian Renaissance are the most famous group of paintings displayed in the Uffizi Gallery, although several sections of the museum are dedicated to other foreign artists.

annunciation.jpegThe Annunciation - Leonardo Da Vinci

The Uffizi Gallery also offers a marvelous collection of Roman sculptures that are presented in the corridors. In addition to the sculptures in the corridors, it is still possible to see the remains of the Romanesque church of San Piero Scheraggio on the ground floor. The Romanesque church of San Piero Scheraggio was partially destroyed by Vasari to build the Uffizi.

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Here is a link that may be interesting to watch:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0GSxSansbI

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